West Bengal Elections 2021: Adhikari mocks TMC’s posters
Kolkata, Jan 03: Mocking ruling TMC for its posters and banners in recent years carrying pictures of its supremo proclaiming projects and programmes, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari Saturday said he looks forward to a Bengal where only pictures of icons will feature on them.
Adhikari, who did not name any person, was alluding to posters and banners having pictures of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee proclaiming the state's various development projects or ongoing state-organised festivals put up in the city and other parts of state in which she is described as the "Pride of Bengal".
He told a meeting in Purbo Medinipur district, "We will usher in a Bengal where banners before schools, colleges and other places will only have pictures of icons like Swami Vivekananda, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Ranindranath Tagore and others describing them as Prides of Bengal".
Iterating he did not want to float a regional party when his relation soured with TMC, Mr Adhikari said there had been numerous instances of outfits like Bangla Congress having been floated in the past but none of these had lasted for long.
"I
don't
want
to
float
a
family
driven
party,"
said
Mr
Adhikari,
who
has
been
critical
of
Ms
Banerjee's
nephew
and
TMC
MP
Abhishek
Banerjee.
He
also
mocked
TMC
putting
up
posters
about
the
success
in
100
days'' work
at
gram
panchayats
around
the
meeting
venue.
"After
some
time
there
will
not
be
anyone
to
put
up
flag
poles
for
TMC",
he
said
in
an
obvious
reference
to
the
state
polls
in
April-May.
Adhikari said, "TMC will cease to exist after May. There won't be any candidate whom the TMC can field in next panchayat polls", the BJP leader said.
Reacting to allegations about a deal between him and BJP top brass for his joining the saffron party, Mr Adhikari said, "The deal was to give good governance to Bengal, to hold regular SSC exams and ensure fair and regular recruitment, to see to it that the state government employees are not financially discriminated, to see the unemployed youth get job opportunities, to see that industries come up instead of only shops selling fritters."
He
said
the
land
policy
of
the
TMC
was
the
reason
why
no
industries
come
up
in
West
Bengal.
Alleging
that
there
was
surveillance
and
threat
to
political
opponents
of
the
state
government,
Mr
Adhikari
said
it
will
cease
when
the
model
code
of
conduct
comes
into
existence
before
the
poll.
He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi believed in inclusive development and not in the development of a community. The TMC in contrast wanted to show that it is only concerned about development of one group of people.
Adhikari
also
criticised
the
TMC
government
for
allegedly
changing
names
of
central
projects
and
passing
it
off
as
state-sponsored
projects.
Commenting
on
Mr
Adhikari's
statement,
TMC
Secretary
General
and
minister
Partha
Chatterjee
said
they
have
no
depth,
nor
substance.
"It is only meant for creating gimmicks. It will not cut much ice with the people of the state who hold Mamata Banerjee in high esteem," he added.
Around 1,000 TMC workers joined BJP at the meeting led by former Trinamool Zilla Parishad member Somnath Bhuniya.